a ta bs ee tes. 4 
aS ae 
ee Bae eh 
Bd 
308 Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 
The physical properties of this acid will be seen to differ from 
those of margaric acid, which it has been supposed to be, but 
there is no striking difference between these two bodies in com- 
position, as will be seen in the results afforded by the analysis of 
this body. 
Exp. 1. 0.2815 grammes of the acid burnt with the bioxide 
of copper gave* 0.7725 gram. carbonic acid and 0.320 gram. 
Water. 
Exp. 2. 0.2325 gram. of the acid burnt with the bioxide 
of copper gave 0.637 gram. carbonic acid and 0.261 gram. wa- 
ter. 
Exp. 3. 0.328 gram. of the acid burnt with the chromate of 
lead gave 0.890 gram. carbonic acid and 0.3685 gram. water. 
These three analyses furnish the following proportions of cat- 
bon, hydrogen, and oxygen, in 100 parts of the acid. 
Carbon, * 75.44 75.31 74.64 = 75.13 
Hydrogen, 12.60 12.47 12.46 12.51 
Oxygen, 12.96 12.22 12.90 1236 
—_—_—_—_—_" 
100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
Having thus found the relative proportions of the elements 
contained in this acid, it was necessary to examine one of its salts, 
to ascertain its atomic composition, and for this purpose, a8 in 
most cases, its combination with the oxide of silver was chosen, 
but to form this salt it was necessary first to form its soda salt. 
Soda Salt.—A portion of the acid was digested with a solution 
of carbonate of soda, until a complete combination had taken 
place, which is easily known by the acid no longer floating 02 
its surface, it having all united with the soda, forming a salt solu- 
ble in water. The solution of this salt, which contained an ¢© 
cess of carbonate of soda, was evaporated to dryness in a wale? 
bath, and the dry mass, pulverized, was treated with absolute 
SCAN my calculations are made with the atomic weight of carbon given by - 
big and Redenbacker, (75.85 oxygen being considered 100, or 6.068 hydroge? 
ken as unity.) ch 
mMposition of margaric acid after the analysis of Varrentrapp— 
on, ee eet ls. one Ea ee 
<a Dep See eee os 3 P al “ 12.32 
EN TES Sn Ee LT ee a ee eee jai : nee 
Y sn A eS SRE gS i p ety 100.00 
